Home Textiles Today October 25 issue

Monday, October 25, 2010

THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY

Marimekko Sets up Shop in Crate and Barrel

BY CAROLE SLOAN NEW YORK — With the debut of a new in-store Marimekko shop concept, both the Finnish design company and Crate and Barrel — its longtime American retail partner — hope to reenergize Marimekko’s impact here and abroad.

Crate and Barrel has been a Marimekko design supporter, emotionally and from a major business perspective, since the mid ’60s, Crate’s co-founder and retired ceo Gordon Segal said at the launch of the first Marimekko shop here earlier this month.

Segal and his wife Carole discovered the design works of the company when they were young, about-to-be-retailers in the mid ’60s during a visit to Copenhagen. The shop owner arranged to have them meet the head of marketing at Marimekko as well as tour the plant. “We never saw color and product like this and decided to put it in our new store,” said Segal.

“Over the years,” Segal remarked, “We were very influenced by their thought process.

We were young and impressionable, and their philosophy influ-

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Lord & Taylor Opens Home Showcase

BY CAROLE SLOAN N EW YORK — Home furnishings will have a new showcase as Lord & Taylor re-enters the business this week with a 21,000-square-foot presentation on the ninth floor of its flagship unit here on Fifth Avenue.

The floor will be dominated by across-theDecorative bedding is the centerpiece of the home area with various vignettes.

board home furnishings offerings from the Lauren Ralph Lauren home program and the Calvin Klein Collection, Studio and White label offerings. Lauren Ralph Lauren has 45% of the total floor space while Calvin Klein has 30%. The balance currently houses a trim-a-tree department and a shop for packaged gourmet foods.

The reentry into the home arena comes after an absence of 23 years “and is the result of cusSEE L&T PAGE 12

SEE CRATE PAGE 10

Marimekko CEO Mika Ihamuotila, left, with Revman’s Rich Roman, Crate & Barrel ceo Barbara Turf and Gordon Segal, co-founder and retired ceo of Crate & Barrel.

Lauren Ralph Lauren

After Some Neglect, Walmart US Catering to Core Customer

BY CECILE B. CORRAL BENTONVILLE, ARK. – Although shopping by higher-end households is holding up, Walmart US is losing share among lowand middle-income shoppers and will turn its attention to the core customer as it looks to drive top-line sales.

“We’re going to talk today about growth, top-line growth, and we see it coming from three places – our base core business, grow access to EDLP [everyday-low-price] through new store growth, and expand multichannel,” said Walmart US ceo Bill Simon during the company’s annual analyst presentation

earlier this month At the crux is Walmart’s phased assortment project, which calls for: adding back some previously deleted items to assortments; identifying modular layouts that don’t reflect the way consumers make purchasing decisions; analyzing departSEE WALMART PAGE 14

High-end Retailers Cautiously Optimistic

BY CECILE B. CORRAL N EW YORK — Convinced that “Christmas parties are coming back with a bang” this holiday, Phoebe Howard is concentrating her assortment on entertaining and decorative items at her

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four-unit upscale specialty retail chain, Mrs. Howard.

While shopping the High Point Market last week in North Carolina, Howard told HTT that she is expanding her offering of table linens, tabletop, candles, hurricane lamps, and other fes-

tive wares to help her customers prepare for at-home entertaining — something she is sure her customer is itching to do after two recession-cramped years.

“People are tired of not celebrating the holidays and not enSEE SPECIALTY PAGE 4

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Retail Briefs Tuesday Morning 1Q Sales Rise

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uesday Morning reported first quarter sales rose 4.2% to $172.8 million, with comps up 4.3%.

Same-store sales increases for the quarter ended Sept. 30 resulted from a 6.1% boost in traffic offset by a 1.8% decrease in average ticket. It was the fourth consecutive quarter to show increases in both comps and customer traffic. The retailer will report full financial results Oct. 25.

Target Revamps Chicago Area Units

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arget Corp. has redesigned and revamped more than 55 of its units in the Chicago area to create a one-stop shopping destination that gives renewed focus to fresh-food grocery goods.

The new layouts emphasize fresh food and baked goods as well as feature reinventions of other merchandise areas, including home, beauty, shoes and electronics.

In home, for example, the department has been enhanced with wider aisles and lower product fixtures aimed at providing easier navigation.

Target plans by yearend to add approximately 350 new and remodeled locations nationwide.

Macy’s Expands Sustainability Program

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acy’s Inc. is adding four new efforts to its drive to reduce energy consumption and waste.

The company has started construction of a highefficiency solar power system on the roof of its Goodyear, Ariz., distribution center and recently completed a similar project at its DC in City of Industry, Calif.

Macy’s now hosts solar power panels on the roofs of 37 of its facilities, with a goal of expanding renewable energy sources 15% to 25% by 2013.

Macy’s is also replacing about 117,000 traditional incandescent light bulbs in 86 Macy’s stores with new LED bulbs that use about 73% less energy. Finally, Macy’s is replacing bottled water in its office facilities with water filtration units.

Sears Holdings Launches Small Business Competition

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ears Holdings, parent of retail chains Sears and Kmart, is offering four small business grants of $5,000 each in a competition called Tu Empresa, Tu Futuro/Your Company, Your Future.

The contest runs through Dec. 31 and is open to adults 18 and older who have owned their own business for at least one year. After completing an online form, contestants must submit a brief essay describing what inspired them to start their business. For information, visit www.sears.com/tuempresatufuturo.

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October 25, 2010

News

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American Textile Company Adds to Stable of Products

BY JENNIFER MARKS D UQUESNE , PA . — The results of American Textile Company’s recent initiatives — including the opening of an office in North Carolina staffed by industry veterans in product development, marketing sales — were on full display at the recent New York Home Fashions Market with a host of new products.

One stand-out was the washable pillow that gets loftier and more shapeable after every washing. American Textile developed a process to keep fill fibers from clumping and combined it with a slick additive that helps them plump after washing.

The pillow was created after

extensive consumer research, according to Blake Ruttenberg, executive vp, sales and marketing.

Among consumers, “87% said having a washable pillow as very or extremely relevant,” he said.

“We found 80% had tried washing a pillow, and 74% were disappointed in the results.”

The washable pillow can also be combined with a variety of additional attributes, including Cool Comfort, wrinkle-free, anti-microbial, stain release, order resistant or scented.

Also new is what American Textile calls the “Five-inOne” mattress pad: waterproof pillowtop, protects from spills and stains, enhances comfort,

renews the look of the mattress and dries in half the time of a typical mattress pad.

Shell options include microplush or a circular knit. “These are fabrics used for today’s mattress,” said Ruttenberg.

The company’s new Dual Support Pillow offers foam on one side and fiber on the other.

The reverse sleeping options are medium/firm or firm/extra firm.

“A lot of people tend to switch out or exchange their pillows,” said Jack Ouelette, president and ceo.

A m e r i c a n Te x t i l e a l s o expanded the offerings in its core Aller-Eaze brand to include body pillows, Euros, comforters and fiber beds. HTT

Robert Allen Creates Online Library NEW YORK — The Robert Allen

Group has launched a mobile platform through robertallendesign.com, that enables interior designers to determine inventory availability for all its divisions’ fabrics by skus.

Online Librarian will allow designers to search sample

books by book name, book number or release date and receive an instant inventory snapshot, in addition to a print link.

The mobile access provides interior designers the ability to request samples, check stock and delivery status, search for

fabric and place orders.

The system is compatible with a range of smart phone models including iPhone, B l a c k b e r r y a n d D r oi d o n mobile or standard websites for all company brands, said Greg Tarver, president and chief operating officer. HTT

Shop.org: Online Retailers and Consumers Looking to Start Holiday Shopping Early W A S H I N G T O N — It looks like Santa will be smiling on online retailers this holiday, with almost two-thirds of them expecting their sales to increase 15% or more versus last year when less than half were as optimistic.

Specifically, 63.8% of online stores said they expect their company’s online sales to grow over last year compared with holiday 2009’s 45.8%.

That is what the NRF’s digital retail division, Shop.org, found in its recent eHoliday Study, which was conducted by consumer research firm Bigresearch and surveyed 2,583 consumers from September 19 to Oct. 4 and 51 online retailers from Sept. 1 to 27.

“Retailers continue to see the web as a bright spot in the industry and are putting the finishing touches on new site features so their customers will have good experiences when shopping

online this holiday season,” said Fiona Swerdlow, Shop.org head of research. “In addition to using websites to bring in sales, retailers are leveraging the internet to encourage shoppers to head to nearby stores, featuring store locator information, product availability, and store circulars on their websites.”

The study also found shoppers and online retailers alike are preparing as early as Halloween for the holidays. As many as 40% of online retailers said they will begin holiday marketing by Oct. 31 and another 40% percent are planning to begin marketing the week of Nov. 1.

“Even though online retailers are expecting strong holiday sales, they’re not planning to abandon some of the web’s most alluring incentives, including free shipping,” Shop.org said. Four out of five — or 84.8% — of online retailers will offer free shipping

at some point during the holiday season, and nearly onethird (31.4%) said these offers will begin earlier this year than a year ago. Shoppers may even see more free shipping deals this year, as 36.7% of retailers said their budget for free shipping is higher than last holiday season.

“As online retail continues to grow, companies have been investing in site features and services to maximize their holiday sales,” including social media, Shop.org added, as the majority of retailers -- 72.5% – said they have invested in the company’s Facebook page in advance of the holidays. Additionally, more than half (54.9%) said they have invested in cross-selling on product pages and site search, and 52.9% in customer ratings and reviews. Another 43.1% of retailers said they have invested more this holiday season in a Twitter campaign or Twitter feed. HTT

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Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

In Detail

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Window Suppliers Find Rays of Light in Marketplace

BY JILL ROWEN NEW YORK — A relatively upbeat New York Home Fashions Market last month put a positive spin on the windows category, despite the lingering list of critical issues: rising cost of raw materials, packaging and transportation; pricing pressures from retailers; the impact of volatile Chinese financial policies; a still-stuck economy; and a fickle consumer.

For most vendors it is a reality check for how they do business and what they can do going forward.

The category is actually one that has weathered the recession better than most, with many suppliers reporting that sales are flat or slightly up. The silver lining is that retailers are still looking for “what’s new” to lure consumers. In addition, the burgeoning internet is offering new opportunities to vendors. Trends taking shape include a new emphasis on grommet details and more products in the indoor/outdoor arena.

“In a recession, people stay home and redecorate.

The cheapest way to do that is with window coverings,” noted Carl Goldstein, senior vp, S. Lichtenberg.

“Though business has been flat, we’ve experienced increases in the last three years.”

“We’ve had a strong year and market was very positive,” said Barry Goodman, vp, Commonwealth. “Retailers were in a buying mood – some because inventories had gotten so low.”

Goodman acknowledged the new business reality of longer lead times, which have gone from 90 days to a new standard of 120 to 130 days. In addition, vendors have had to contend with new minimums at the factory level. “You’ve been basing your pricing on one set of criteria, but that criterion is now changing – almost daily,” he noted.

“Market was stronger than expected,” agreed Jason Carr, Softline Home Fashions. “Retailers were cautious but upbeat.”

According to Carr, Softline Home is building on its existing customer base with more programs and increasing doors. His new reality: “Customers are now inclined to do much more testing than ever before, and it’s one of the ways to not end up with dead inventory on their hands,” he said.

“We’re doing a much better job of getting a good read from our customers, so we can really work on what’s going on further down the road,” he added. Carr noted that prices of goods from China have been so volatile that it’s been hard to get a good barometer on future pricing, making it essential to lock in orders when you can.

The always sticky issue of pricing is even more troubling today with manufacturing costs unpredictably rising, while consumers are still stinging from a weak economy.

“We’re feeling price resistance from our customers, so it is eating away at our margins,” said Carr. “It’s hard to take a $19.99 product and go to $24.99; it puts you in a different tier. Often, we find we’re working backward from what retailers are looking to pay. Everyone wants the fashionable look at the discounted price.”

Goldstein at S. Lichtenberg looks at the rising prices more philosophically. “The prices are certainly up, but that’s because they got too cheap and there had been so much deflation in the previous years,” he said. “We try to buy the best goods at the best prices and give the best services. You factor in price with new product lines.

Retailers don’t want to raise prices.”

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Firefend Batiste semi-sheer with toga valance.

The Parasol collection from Ellery Homestyles

“The market is desperate for innovation and petrified of the price increases coming out of China and the devaluation of the dollar,” noted Louis Hornick II, ceo, Louis Hornick & Co. One of things that Hornick said sets his company apart is the Made in USA label on its Firefend brand.

“Every lot is certified and tested. We offer many skus on a quick ship bases and if I want to check quality, I just go next door,” said Hornick. According to the company, the fire-resistant fabric is being expanded into decorative pillows and slip covers.

For Ellery Homestyles, online outlets are proving to be a bright spot. “Inventories are still rather tight in stores,” said Angela Boswell, vp, product development.

“But we saw more and more retailers interested in broadening their assortments online.”

According to Boswell, a new glow-in-the-dark collection for kids has been well-received, as has its outdoor collection called Parasol. “It is a continuing trend on the high end and now more retailers are really into the concept,” she said. Ellery also makes the performance enhanced Eclipse brand.

Hornick also sees retailing changing even more due the influence of the Internet. “Over the next 10 years, the internet, fueled by social media, will change the landscape. There’s a compression of relationships between wholesalers, retailers and consumers and the dynamic will be much more fluid,” he noted.

One of the trend stories for window coverings continues to be the indoor/outdoor phenomenon. Goldman noted that it is focusing on its “fifth room” concept as well as its energy saving performance products using Thermologic technology. Grommets are also

Louis Hornick & Co.’s animal park from its Firefend kids line.

making a comeback a number of suppliers adding it as a style point.

“Innovation is critical, source of supply is critical and quality is critical as is finding the untapped and unfilled niche in the market,” said Hornick. In other words, it is business as usual for window suppliers.

HTT

10/20/2010 5:36:17 PM

For more information on eclipse visit us at www.eclipsecurtains.com Ellery Homestyles, LLC 295 5th Avenue #1212 / New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 684-5364 www.elleryhomestyles.com

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Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

News

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Specialty SPECIALTY FROM PAGE 1

tertaining, so they want to celebrate this year in great style,” she explained. Her four stores are located in: Atlanta; Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, Florida; and Charlotte, N.C. “Today’s standard is that everything has to be a great value,” Howard continued. “Things can be stylish and beautiful — and not necessarily affordable — but have a great perceived value. It needs to be something timeless that she could use for years. And that is what I am expanding on in my stores.”

Howard’s attitude is one shared, albeit in some cases more reservedly, among highend specialty home textiles and décor chains around the country as the all-important fourth quarter approaches.

Many independent retailers are largely giving attention to the table and entertaining categories this holiday for the same reasons Howard gives.

But a sense of guarded optimism for sales improvements in November and December looms over many small retail owners.

Turning the spotlight on its newly enhanced table linens line is Bedside Manor Ltd., which operates four stores within the Chicago area.

“We’re trying to develop our table linens category more for this holiday, and we’re doing it around a few of our manufacturer partners, like Sferra Bros. and Yves Delorme for some traditional and classic looks and Ann Gish for a more fun, colorful contemporary take,” explained Meg Carroll, owner.

Price point is “not a real concern,” she added.

Bedside Manor is featuring “front and center” in each of its stores a 36-inch round table that is decorated with a variety of table linens and accent pieces, “grouping the merchandise together for nice impact.”

“I think right now the economy is getting better, or maybe we are just getting accustomed to managing it, and people want to gather with their family and friends,” Carroll said.

Bedside Manor also has a new initiative to thank its top customers with personalized gifts. In celebration of the ret ailer’s 25 th anniversary this year, Carroll said she is sending a dozen Sferra Modern Mono-

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Supremium from Warm Things in Northern California.

Fraîche On the Avenues in Richmond, Va.

Bedside Manor in Chicago.

Hestia Luxury in Linens in Covington, La.

gram cocktail napkins to the top 25 customers of each of her four stores, “thanking them for their support.” Each customer’s set features his/her initials monogrammed in taupe on a creamy linen-colored ground.

Special events, such as trunk shows, book signings and in-store free decorating classes are some of the ways Richmond, Va.based Fraîche On the Avenues has “survived” the economy’s impacts since the one-unit specialty home décor shop opened its doors just over two years ago.

Vickie Blanchard, who coowns the store with Lou Gambill,

told HTT that Fraîche recently organized two trunk shows — one of them a linens event with Matouk in September — “that have really helped business.”

Encouraged, the shop has planned several other special events for the holidays. One is a free flower-arranging demonstration that works in tandem with a live orchid arrangement presentation which incorporates merchandise from the store to teach shoppers how to create a festive atmosphere in their homes for the holidays.

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Fraîche is hosting a Lynchburg,

Va.-based artist to teach shoppers how to create decorative centerpieces with organic items like flowers and feathers as well as candles and other small pieces. This event, too, will also feature some store products to promote sales.

And finally, a special book signing event is scheduled at the end of this month. Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt, the sixth generation of the Thalhimer family, which founded the former Thalhimer department store chain 150 years ago, is presenting her new book, “Finding Thalhimers,” at Fraîche.

Also keen on trunk shows is Covington, La.-based Hestia Luxury in Linens – a oneunit store owner and operated

by Jenny Mutter. Hestia opened its doors six years ago.

In late October the store is holding a table linens trunk show spanning five different lines, including holiday styles.

Mutter said she will also offer a door prize for shoppers during the event.

“We do things like that and have before — sometimes they are successful and sometimes they are not. But it is still worth a try because it’s better than just having my shoppers buy from neimanmarcus.com or someone else,” Mutter said.

She is also stocking up, “getting more and more things for Christmas and building my inventory this holiday,” she added.

New merchandise includes an expanded table linens offering, coverlets in neutral tones “so my cusSEE SPECIALTY PAGE 8

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New York International Gift Fair l PIERS 92 & 94, NYC

JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 3, 2011

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Velvet Pillows by Kevin O’Brien Studio

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Retailers SPECIALTY FROM PAGE 6

tomers can just come in and pick one up,” white and ivory sheets and sheet sets, “and more and more towels.”

While utility bedding isn’t typically a holiday item, three-unit Warm Things, with stores in San Francisco, San Rafael and Oakland, Calif., is banking on valuedriven luxury comforters this

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October 25, 2010

fourth quarter to ring sales.

Richard Smith-Allen, owner and founder, stressed that the holiday season is “very important for us. It’s when we generate our highest percent of sales in the entire year.”

And those sales are largely dependent on down comforters and pillows and other utility products that fall in price and quality in the mid to luxury levels.

For this holiday, Warm Things

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has created and is offering Premium 700, which is filled with a 700 fill-power white duck down versus white goose down. Priced to retail for $389.99 in a full/queen size, it falls between the company’s alternative goose-down fill products — Premium at $369.99 and Supremium at $469.99.

“The duck down is cheaper — this where our value comes in — because the duck down is cheaper than goose down, a lot of our

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sales will sell with a discount,” Smith-Allen said.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Bella Linea is grand opening this month in a new location after 23 years in a former space.

Owner Linda Berry told HTT that she had waited more than two decades for a storefront location in the heart of Green Hills.

“With this new location, sales are already proving it was the right

thing for us to do,” Berry said.

“For holiday, we are expanding all of our product offerings, and also expanding our price points.”

Bella Linea’s assortment spans bedding, bath, and utility bedding as well as and gifts and decorative accessories.

“I think this will be a conservative holiday, but our goal is to appeal to a wider base of consumers with our linens and gifts,” Berry added. “And we plan to market ourselves aggressively this holiday.”

“Just hoping for the best” this holiday is Las Vegas-based Elegant Linens, a nine-year-old husband-and-wife store that relocated from Park City, Utah in 2007.

“We started off well when we first got here, but shortly thereafter, the bottom fell out of the economy,” explained Ann Jurgens, co-owner.

More recently, “our business seems to be up a little,” she added.

Jurgens said in terms of merchandise, this holiday will be “business as usual,” with an emphasis on giftable items like blankets, throws, bath robes, towels and other such items.

“I think business is coming back, but no one, including myself, is ready to invest anymore in inventory until we really see the economy coming back,” she said.

Also approaching the holidays as usual — with restraint — is Joan Miller, the owner of 14year-old Omaha-based luxury linens store Early to Bed. “I am very much a high-end luxury linens store, and I always approach the holiday with cautious optimism because I don’t do a lot of Christmas,” she explained.

Miller did say she has customers who come in to purchase luxury items as gifts, but not enough lately to ramp up inventory.

“In the last couple of years I am thinking, ‘Gosh, do I really don’t want a lot of inventory right now?’ I have to make sure I’m not overloaded so that I don’t end up with a lot of payables come January and February,” she explained.

“That will stress me out, and I don’t want that.”

Instead, Miller said she intends to ring in the season by “dressing up the store with some fun things people can purchase as gifts,” but she warned, “not too deep and not with many items that are so holiday focused that they can’t move later in the year.” HTT

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Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

Safavieh Expands High Point Showroom

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Capel Rugs Unveils “New Style Point of View” at High Point

P O R T W A S H I N G T O N , N.Y. —

TROY, N.C. — Capel brought to the recent High Point Market one of

Upscale area rug company Safavieh added 1,000 square feet of additional showroom space to its High Point showroom at Market Square to accommodate a major new program of designer shag and novelty textured rugs launched at the recent High Point Market.

The additional space is adjacent to Safavieh’s original rug and furniture showrooms, which comprise 10,000 square feet in Suites 120 and 123.

The new space is Market Square 121, formerly occupied by area rug designer Liora Manne and her Lamontage Rugs line.

“This space was the perfect natural addition to our High Point presence, allowing us to show the scope and breadth of our new developments for contemporary lifestyle customers,” said Arash Yaraghi, Safavieh principal.

Five new 100% wool designer shag collections were introduced at High Point Market. The company’s goal with the new program is to offer shag rugs and textures in an array of price

its largest groupings of new introductions of area and accent rugs.

The company’s “New Style Point of View” spans braided, transitional and contemporary categories of rugs – all set in the backdrop of Capel’s newly revamped showroom here, located in space 112 at Market Square as well as a second space, 1-418 at the Suites at Market Square.

Allen Roberston, vp of sales, calls the new offering “the freshest assortment of products we have ever offered.” The company is also offering “great sample packages to make these exciting presentations as affordable as possible,” he added.

Among the new transitional and contemporary collections is a grouping developed via a collaboration with designer Kevin O’Brien.

The new rug line, dubbed Kevin O’Brien for Capel Rugs, caters to consumers “who have fantastic taste and are looking for stylish yet affordable products,” said O’Brien.

O’Brien’s designs, as seen in the Droplets collection, employ natural motifs rendered in subtle yet striking color schemes. Daisy Climber, another collection in the program, uses stylized floral patterns in a soothing color scheme.

The natural theme is continued in the new hand-tufted collection, Eloquent Garden, which features a traditional botanical pattern in bold contemporary colors.

Capel has incorporated clean lines and geometric patterns into many of its new style concepts. The Flair and Arrondelle collections draw inspiration from minimalist design, featuring crisp graphic patterns and visually interesting proportions. For market, Capel is also showing new colors drawn from menswear in its new Hampton collection.

Paying tribute to its roots as a braided rug manufacturer, Capel is unveiling a wide variety of new “American Originals” rugs – this time in contemporary bold colors. Among them are the Key West, Sea Glass and Candy collections. A Capel Anywhere collection, Salt Marsh is hand crafted using a variety of innovative construction techniques, making it one of Capel’s most versatile braided offerings. At market, the company will be showing its braided introductions in a second space at the Suites at Market Square. HTT

From Safavieh’s new Manhattan shag rug collection.

points for every consumer’s taste and budget, Safavieh noted.

Five new collections of polypropylene shags will debut at prices ranging from $249 to $499 for a 6-by-9 size. Every rug is dense, plush and power-loomed in India with pile heights ranging from three to five inches.

Manhattan is a new-generation shag rug collection that is hand-knotted from countless individual petals of felted New Zealand wool. And Tribeca is a shag with unusually thick felted

wool yarns hand-knotted into a funky, oversized pile texture.

“Whether the consumer’s home is state-of-the-art contemporary or mid-20th century modern, shag area rugs complement myriad interior design schemes.

We find that in addition to use on hard surface floors, they are now being used to add additional texture to rooms with wall to wall carpeting,” Yaraghi said.

Safavieh’s new shags are available in seven standard rug sizes plus two rounds. HTT

Old Hickory Adds Rugs, Taps Textiles Designer Ford SHELBYVILLE, IND. — Old Hick-

ory Furniture Co. is for the first time in its century-plus existence adding area rugs to its product assortment. The launch was set to debut at this month’s High Point Market.

The new line is dubbed Old Hickory Rugs feature “distinctive designs and color combinations inspired by historic textiles” as well as the handcrafted rustic-style furniture manufactured and sold by Old Hickory.

“Our goal was to coordinate with rustic themes throughout both residential and commercial environments,” said Bob Morrison, vp of sales and marketing.

Old Hickory rugs will also include looks that can marry easily with more contemporary furniture and home décor styles.

In total, the initial line spans 15 designs in four sizes: 5-by-8, 8by-11, eight-foot round, and 2-by8 runner. Retails are set between $200 and $800. Each rug is CRI certified, and the line consists of

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Above: Capel’s Sea Glass rug in Ocean. Below: Key West in blue raspberry.

Green Label Plus products.

Created by designer Mark Ford, the inspiration for the program came from his experience living on a Blackfoot Indian reservation for two summers and working in the curator’s office in Yellowstone National Park. Ford explained his designs for the rugs are “steeped in history and based on historic pieces found in some of the great American lodges and museum archives.”

He added: “I first saw Old Hickory Furniture when I worked in Yellowstone. It was

important to offer rugs that capture the spirit and tradition of historic floor cloths, ones you might see in the great room of a National Park.”

The Old Hickory Rugs line is made to order in the United States and shipped within 14 days of each order.

“The main advantage is that our customers do not have to carry a lot of stock, and in this economy that allows our customers to hold onto their cash,” said Rocco Liott, president of Old Hickory. HTT

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October 25, 2010

Marimekko Sets up Shop CRATE FROM PAGE 1

enced the way we did things — especially in lighting, freshness and design.”

The Marimekko look has been a significant design force at Crate in bedding, and the new shop which includes tabletop, table linens, ceramics, kitchenware and some accent furniture “will force us to rethink how we use our space,” he commented.

The boutique here in the Crate SoHo store is 1,700 square feet “and we reduced our own space and it forced us to rethink our space,” said Segal.

There will be smaller Marimekko boutiques opening across the country, said Barbara Turf, Crate’s ceo and a longtime merchant at the company. She joined Crate in ’68 in sales and joined the corporate organization in ’72. “In February and March we will open Marimekko boutiques on 59th Street here, in Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C.” — all in the 500 to 700 square foot range. The company also plans boutiques for its larger stores, she said.

The bedding and decorative pillows — and new bath

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collection — are done with Revman International, whose founder and ceo Rich Roman noted: “Crate was the first customer we shipped (in ’89) with Marimekko — and the business has grown over the years.”

Ironically, he noted, “most people think Laura Ashley was our first license, but it was Marimekko,” In addition to the iconic black and white graphic designs initiated originally by founder Armi Ratia and later enhanced by bold, colorful designs created

by Maija Isola, the company became known world-wide. It lost its tempo with her death in 1979 and was sold to a bank in 1995, a similar move followed by a sale to a banker in 1991.

In 2007, the current owner, a former bank ceo with a textile and design heritage, assumed ownership. “I’m so enthusiastic about the future,” said Mika Ihamoutila. “Marimekko is more relevant today than it has been.

People see happiness from our colors and their tired if throwaway things.

“While we have a signature, we are new and current as well as timeless,” he emphasized.

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“Our customers are responding to all decades of our designs — and they are the older customers as well as younger ones.”

Ihamoutila has global plans for the company. Marimekko currently operates 90 stores, including its first in South Korea.

In the United States, the home part of the Marimekko collection will be confined to Crate & Barrel, which is expanding the brand’s impact in the stores as well as in the catalog and on the internet, Turf said.

“A year ago we thought we had a fragment of the brand but not its complete design statement,” Turf noted. “I saw a boutique in Japan and thought it would work for us. It’s perfect for tabletop as well as gifts and accessories besides the bedding.”

The retailer is working with the Finnish company on sourcing. “We will collaborate with them globally,” she said. Currently tabletop is done in Thailand, t able cloths are from Portugal. “Furniture is under discussion,” Turf remarked. “We would love to have their fabrics on our frames,” she said, noting one chair already covered in a Marimekko fabric for the new shop.

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Already the shop here has impacted the way Crate executives look at the store. “I see us using more white fixtures. It’s fresher than the wood we’ve been using,” said Turf. And overall presentation will be influenced as the Marimekko space forces a rethinking of the balance of the store.

With 2009 sales of $1.1 billion from 174 Crate and five CB2 stores, the company is now testing its Land of Nod kids division in its stores. There is a test in Washington, D.C. as well as four free-standing stores, Turf noted.

CB2 “is on fire. It’s unbelievable, it’s remarkable,” Turf said. The company went slowly in expanding the CB2 concept, which focuses “on smaller scale, lower price points and very modern aesthetics from the Crate viewpoint,” she said. “Crate is more eclectic.”

Catalog and internet sales account for 25% of the company’s business, Turf noted, and the Marimekko collection will be on the retailer’s internet site in March.

Overall, the gift registry is the strongest segment of the internet business, “but textiles are very strong as well.” Furniture,

which company executives were extremely concerned about adding to that mix, “is very strong in terms of customers doing research. They can’t place special orders via the internet,” Turf explained.

While the home side is the major focus, the Marimekko brand is undergoing changes in this country with its U.S. subsidiary, in collaboration with C2 Group, a brand management firm spearheading the effort that crosses product lines including a newly rejuvenated apparel, jewelry, bags and other accessories to be sold through department and specialty stores as well as expanding its current roster of concept stores in New York, Cambridge, Mass., and Miami.

C2 Group is headed by Lynn Shanahan, ceo, as well as Karen Martin, creative director, and Allison Niles, director of product development and marketing — all alumnae of Tommy Hilfiger.

“We did research on the brand,” said Shanahan “and it has two audiences — one 45 plus who remembers it from the past, and a whole new age group that respond to the color and design.” HTT

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Clockwise, from top left: Crate & Barrel is cross-merchandising a variety of Marimekko offerings. For the first time, Marimekkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upholstery fabrics are available for purchase to cover Crate furniture. The 1,700 square foot shop-in-shop features hard goods such as tabletop (foreground) as well as accessories such as bags and totes (interior right). Marimekkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range of bedding, which is produced by Revman International, greets consumers at the shop entrance.

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Lauren Ralph Lauren has several decorative bedding presentations throughout the department.

Separate vignettes are set throughout the department for decorative bedding.

Fashion towels are highlighted in this display in the front of the department.

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Towels are highlighted on white fixtures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a display element in the Lauren Ralph Lauren display statement.

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Lord and Taylor Heads Home L&T FROM PAGE 1

tomer requests,” said Barbara Zinn-Moore, svp/gmm home, cosmetics, and gourmet.

Several years ago, parent company NRDC had contemplated adding home back into the equation at the flagship using the resources of the specialty retailer Fortunoff, which it had acquired, but the company was later dissolved.

“This is a business opportunity we saw in the marketplace and also because we had customer requests for it. They want more one-stop shopping,” ZinnMoore observed.

Decades earlier, the retailer had been acclaimed for its highend decorative fabrics, bed, bath and window coverings selection — and customer services.

Between the two power brands there are 19 beds and six fully set tables with table linens, tableware and table accessories spotlighted.

The new floor was developed with a task force that spent six months studying the challenges and opportunities, Zinn-Moore explained. The result — “everyone was energized,” she emphasized.

The plan that emerged, she explained, “was to do everything a little different from our competition. These are two of our most important suppliers store-wide.” Bedding, she believes, will be the biggest product category – it sets the ambience of the design statements.

And in bedding, the store will showcase all Calvin Klein

October 25, 2010

brands — Collection, Studio and White Label.

Throughout the product selection process as well as the presentation, “there were lots of mutual decisions using their expertise — and we took a lot of their recommendations.”

The full breadth of each program is showcased here — bedding, tabletop, gifts, decorative accessories, rugs and lighting. Furniture, a challenge for many retailers in terms of logistics, customer service and returns, will be handled “by our own white glove delivery service with the recommendations of the suppliers,” Zinn-Moore said. Furniture, lighting and rugs will be drop shipped from the licensees and their will be same-day delivery for the other products in New York — “the same as other retailers do. New

Barbara Zinn-Moore, svp/gmm home, cosmetics, and gourmet.

York customers expect this.”

In terms of product selection for both brands, “we picked the best of the collections versus exclusives. It is more important to

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have the right products.”

Looking ahead, Zinn-Moore remarked, “We are focused on successfully launching this department and are looking at rolling out the concept in more stores next year.” Lord & Taylor operates 48 stores, including two outlets.

“We’re still in the planning stages for product after the holiday season, but will have an assortment of gifting products,” Zinn-Moore explained.

The launch is being supported by a store-wide “friends and family” sale event this month, a launch party this week, direct mail promotions, New York only promotion books and Fifth Avenue windows. The program is part of a store-wide event celebrating the reopening of five floors that have been renovated.

HTT

Table linens get a spotlight in a new fixture for the Lauren Ralph Lauren program.

Decorative pillows are showcased in a fixture on the main aisle for Lauren Ralph Lauren.

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The towel wall for Lauren Ralph Lauren offers a broad range of current hues.

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Sam’s Club Keen on Personalization and Technology to Grow Membership, Sales

BY CECILE B. CORRAL B ENTONVILLE , A RK . — The executive team members of Sam’s Club said during their presentation at Walmart’s 17th annual analyst meeting earlier this month that they are working to attract new customers through several initiatives that emphasize personalizes marketing tactics, shopping convenience and enhanced offerings throughout all product categories.

Sam’s has increasingly invested in technology and marketing designed to tap into “customer insights,” explained Brian Cornell, president and ceo.

“We understand what drives [our customers’] purchases and demands,” he said. “And we understand how to serve them each and every time they come …

What our member wants has become a rally cry … At Sam’s we are all focused on delivering what our member wants each and every time they shop.”

Cindy Davis, Sam’s Club’s evp, membership, marketing & e-commerce, said at the crux of growing the business is “building member relationships.”

The company has several efforts underway to accomplish that. Sam’s is growing its existing membership by offering added incentives to its “Plus Members” with early shopping hours, 2% cash-back when members use their Sam’s Club Discovery credit card, and “evalues,” which

Wal-Mart WALMART FROM PAGE 1

mental space impacts due to project impact stores; and product availability (shelf availability).

Within that realm is Action Alley, which returned this in July – one month after Bill Simon became Walmart U.S.’s ceo and president.

“Promotional intensity has returned with Action Alley,” Simon said.

Originally, Walmart brought it back with a heavy concentration on snacks and beverages. “Since then, we’ve seen a 65 basis point improvement in those items since before Action Alley was bright back [in July].”

Simon explained that at Walmart brings back skus and gets back into Action Alley, “we are seeing a very slight bump in inventory,” such as the recent 4% increase. He noted inventory is still lower than in 2007 and said the company’s goal is to grow inventory at half the rate of sales.

“We will add some [inventory], but we’re not going back to where we were,” he continued. “But we do have to support this initiative with some inventory.”

Looking to the fourth quarter and holiday, Walmart U.S. expects to see improvements for the period. Walmart’s holiday

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are personalized savings sent directly to members based on their specific shopping habits and preferences.

Davis noted the last incentive is credited with helping Sam’s increase its membership by 45% from fiscal 2009 to 2010, and 30% from fiscal 2010 to 2011.

Sam’s is also “enhancing target communication” with its members, “engaging them in categories most relevant to them that they have yet to discover at Sam’s,” Davis explained.

Attracting new members to Sam’s is another push for the company. The warehouse club has recently created new “traffic-driving events” for potential customers, such as open houses and the Taste of Sam’s, offering “a way [for them] to try out Sam’s without eroding our core membership offering.”

Turning to technology, Sam’s last month launched its Smartphone mobile app for iPhone and Android varieties, and this week for Blackberry users.

“It simplifies shopping and is personalized so each shopper can get the information they are interested in,” Davis continued.

As one-third of Sam’s membership comprises households earning annual incomes of more than $100,000 and another third earning between $60K and $100K, the warehouse club said it is responding to its memberships’ demands

for higher quality and better brands across all merchandise categories, said Linda Hefner, evp and chief merchandising officer.

Examples of the enhanced assortment include: the addition of 100 new fresh items, including high quality meats and “artisan” breads baked on site, in food and consumables; and improved and expanded offerings in pharmacy and healthand-wellness.

Hefner offered more specifics within each of Sam’s four main merchandise divisions.

In “Everyday Needs,” which includes paper products and cleaning supplies, “we are offering [our members’] favorite brands at the lowest prices,” she said.

The “WOW” category, which spans food and beverages as well as health-andbeauty products, “quality is most important here to our members, so we are prioritizing those drivers.”

In “Treasure hunt,” where Sam’s offers the “excitement” products like electronics, home, seasonal, apparel, and jewelry, Sam’s is enhancing what members said they wanted here – “aspirational brands, leading innovation, and increasingly more service in jewelry and electronics,” she went on.

And in the “Simple Solutions” segment, which includes tires, for example, “we’re making it easier for our customers with the best brands and superior installation and service.” HTT

offering will be tailored to serve its core $50,000 to $70,000 annual income customers, many of whom are unemployed and have seen their unemployment benefits run out, Simon noted.

“This holiday season will be very, very strong price focus – we are ready for that.

The priority will be on kids, and consumers will be focused more on needs than wants,” he said. “We are ready to deliver, especially to our core customer.”

Simon said the environment is ripe for the retailer’s return to its central focus on low- to middle-income shoppers.

“Now is the time. We have an opportunity,” he said.

Over the past couple of years during the recession, Walmart made efforts to attract high-income bracket customers with enhanced product offerings and stepped-up price points. While that effort was successful on some respects, it backfired against the core shopper, ostracizing some of them and causing Walmart to lose some of their business and share of wallet.

Noted in the slide presentation with Simon’s talk, Walmart acknowledged that “Despite progress on many fronts, overall market share slipped slightly in 2011.”

Simon elaborated on that thought.

“While we captured a new higher income customer, momentum was lost

with our core customer.”

Walmart’s core shopper generates 65% of sales, “and there is room to grow that,” Simon went on. “Even though top group is growing, the bottom group overshadows that growth.”

Walmart now accounts for 31% of the low- to middle-income shopper’s share of wallet – but the retailer thinks it can take more than 50%.

Home is one area where Walmart sees it can balance the core customer with new higher-income bracket shoppers.

James Barron, evp, softlines, said Walmart invested in improved quality and style within home, and is continuing with that same strategy into this next year.

“Quality is something we’ve been working very hard on, benchmarking the best-in-class products in home,” he said.

“We’re also focused on driving growth in the category, in towels, sheets, cookware, and many others, and we will continue with this approach with a goodbetter-best assortment in the new [fiscal] year.” HTT

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Wal-Mart Global Sourcing up 18% in United States B E N T O N V I L L E , A R K . — After overhauling its global sourcing structure earlier this year, sourcing is up smartly in various Wal-Mart Inc. markets around the world – up 18% in the U.S. and 19% overall. The goal for next year is to increase the total amount of direct sourcing for its global operations 25% next year.

Wal-Mart operates four hubs

known as Global Merchandise Centers (GMC), with Li & Fung’s stand-alone Direct Sourcing Group (DSG) dedicated solely to Wal-Mart business.

DSG is now Sam’s Club’s number one channel for product, vice chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright said during the company’s analyst meeting today. “It’s going very well,” he said.

When private label food is added to the equation, WalMart’s GMCs and the DSG operation provide about 30% of the company’s total product mix, with importers/manufacturers contributing the rest. The goal, over time, is to invert those numbers, with the shift slated at a 25% compound growth rate over the next five years, said Castro-Wright. HTT

Store Growth Back on the Table at Walmart US BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart US has experimented over the years with various small-format stores, and it is finally ready to begin rolling them out to reach markets it doesn’t currently serve.

The company said it will debut 30-40 small format stores

in fiscal 2012 as its returns to a more accelerated store-opening pace. The company expects to open 163 new stores and remodels in 2011 followed by 186 to 206 in fiscal 2012. By comparison, Walmart opened 142 in fiscal 2010.

The company will pursue

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October 25, 2010

urban and small town markets as well as fill in existing markets.

Of the smaller format stores, Walmart US ceo Bill Simon told analyst’s at today’s meeting here: “It’s a true need in the United States. We will be building these stores to learn from them.” HTT

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Walmart Ramps up Outreach to Cities BENTONVILLE, ARK. — In its effort to reach more urban shoppers, Walmart US is testing a program that will allow residents in four major cities to order from walmart.com and pick up the following day at a local FedEx location.

In addition, Walmart is starting a program that allows consumers to order online and pick up on the same day at a local Walmart store. The service will expand to 800 Walmart stores in large urban areas by the end of the month.

Both programs – FedEx Site to Store and Pick Up Today – are part of what company president and ceo Mike Duke described during yesterday’s analyst meeting as “Next Generation Walmart.”

The FedEx service launches today and encompasses 55 FedEx stations in New York City, 40 in Chicago, 24 in San Francisco and 22 in Washington D.C. The pilot program took place in Los Angles and Boston.

Consumers using Pick Up Today service receive a text or email alerting them when the merchandise is ready to be retrieved from their local stores — usually about four hours after the order has been placed.

“When we put our scale, when we put our resources together, it actually shows we can grow much faster,” said Eduaro Castro-Wright, vice chairman. HTT

Pem America adds Jenny McCarthy, Laura Ashley Licenses N EW YORK — Business is good at Pem America, according to Keith Schneider, senior vice president for the bedding producer, especially in the baby and kids areas where the company has placed its most serious emphasis over the past year.

“We are on fire,” Schneider said. “We have doubled our business every year for the last five years, and have grown substantially in the baby and kids categories.”

Schneider credits the company’s success to being in the right place at the right time - in terms of fashion, price point and materials. “In the tough times, people wanted the fashion, the fabrication and the value,” he said.

“As a company, we are represen-

tative of all of those. We offer a good product at a fair price that allows retailers to maintain or increase their margins.”

To continue the growth trajectory, Pem is now looking to several new licensed collections: Laura Ashley, Too Good by Jenny McCarthy and Disney.

At this month’s ABC Expo, Pem will unveil its two Laura Ashley Collections, Love and Sweet Violet. The designs were inspired by the Laura Ashley archives, including actual vintage wallpapers and table linens from the brand’s collections.

“The designs evolved out of real Laura Ashley art,” Schneider said. “We added tons of appliqué and embroidery to make it represent great, great value for the

consumer - and we didn’t charge for it.” A six-piece crib set will retail around $180, he said.

The Jenny McCarthy collection stemmed from seeking a licensor that offered a “lifestyle brand that young mothers would trust,” Schneider said.

McCarthy attended last year’s ABC Expo to hold one-on-one meetings with retailers to find out exactly what they are looking for, then she and Pem spent the last year creating the Too Good Collection to meet those requirements.

The key points of emphasis for the line are safety, fashion and eco-consciousness.

Only cotton is used on any of the facing materials, and the sheets are 200 thread count. A

Heimtextil to Exhibit Work From Young Designers F RANKFURT, G ERMANY — The organizers of the Heimtextil international home textiles trade show will add a new component to the 2011 fair – Campus, an exhibition featuring the work of young designers from 13 countries.

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The show-in-show will tap 16 colleges from Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and Brazil for Campus.

“We are delighted to be giving the design professionals of tomor-

row an opportunity to appear on the major platform that Heimtextil represents,” said Olaf Schmidt, vp, textile fairs, Messe Frankfurt, which organizes Heimtextil.

The fair takes place in Frankfurt from Jan. 12 to 15, 2011.

HTT

five-piece set with a reversible bumper retails for $99, while a nine-piece set will sell for $179.

“Jenny wants to represent value,” Schneider said. “Because she believes everybody should be able to able to put their babies and infants in safe bedding.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Too Good line go to Generation Rescue, McCarthy’s autism support charity, as well as the JPMA’s Safe Sleep Campaign.

“Jenny has been very involved,” Schneider said. “She wants to understand it and she wants to talk about it. She loves fashion, but she really wants to create a safer sleeping environment.” The packaging is made

using ecologically responsible products, including bags are made of PEVA rather than PVC, as well as FSC-certified paper.

Pem is also taking on some Disney designs — Pooh and Mickey Mouse — with an eye toward specialty retailers. The line includes gift sets and crib bedding. “We were asked to create better product at a higher standard, and not to make it focused on cost,” Schneider said.

“We wanted to lift the quality so that the consumer could see — in terms of good, better, best that we are closer to best.”

All of the licensed designs are debuting in Las Vegas this month, and all are available for immediate delivery. Pem’s booth location at ABC is 3423. HTT

Surtex Exhibitor Registrations Up WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Registrations for exhibitors at the Surtex surface design show are up 29% so far, according to fair organizer George Little Management.

The show will celebrate its 25th anniversary when it takes place May 15-17, 2011 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Calling the registration pace “unprecedented,” show manager Penny Sikalis said: “If we continue on this path – and I anticipate that we will – we will hit our projection of some 300 exhibitors in 2011.”

Surtex has scheduled a webinar series to help exhibitors prepare for the show. For additional information, visit www.surtex.com. HTT

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Suppliers Sound Off on 2010 Holiday Outlooks

BY CECILE B. CORRAL

Bardwil Linens

N E W YO R K — If September comp store sales results among key retail chains coupled with a successful – even if only mildly – back-to-school season are any indication, holiday 2010 could shape up to be better than last year’s and even somewhat modestly triumphant.

That is what most home textiles suppliers are hoping for their fourth quarter outlook when contacted by HTT. Here is a sampling of what some companies are projecting for their own holiday sales and their general position on the coming season.

Home Source International Keith Sorgeloos, president and ceo

Alpha Home Fashions Elaine Pankowicz, ceo and owner

“We feel very positive about the sale-ability and the price points of the holiday merchandise we have coming in this season. We feel that our holiday line we presented this year to retailers was our best ever, and we are very happy that the retailers were also enthusiastic about the styling and price points of this line. Being in the accessory portion of the home textiles business makes our products affordable for most consumers, even with the downturn of the economy.

We are confident this will be a very strong holiday season.”

day season, retailers were more willing than in recent years to showcase product outside the traditional home furnishing norms. Based on our own business, seasonal merchandise, Black Friday and door buster promotions increased.”

Bardwil Linens Nancy Kristoff, president of sales and marketing

“Bardwil is cautiously optimistic, like everybody else. With our key brands of Lenox and Vera and Lenox Bath, we are hoping that the fourth quarter will be a success with Christmas sales stronger than 2009.”

support this. The final outcome rests on the customer showing up, but so far the cash register is ringing and I am optimistic for a strong fourth quarter. We are seeing strength not just at value price points, but across the range of our product and barring some macro economic development I believe we will see a strong finish to the year.”

Elrene Home Fashions

Arlee Home Fashion Sean Frankel, svp, national sales manager

Brentwood Originals

“Regarding our outlook for the fourth quarter, most of the retailers we work with believe the 2010 holiday season will build on the modest gains from 2009.

“In preparing for the holi-

“Back-to-school sales were strong and retailers were pleased. Based upon this start it appears that they are willing to lay in the initial inventory for fall [season].

Current order rates certainly

Arlee Home Fashions

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buy into the new innovation and trend right merchandise being offered.”

Loren Sweet, president

Elrene Home Fashions Bryan Siegel, chairman and ceo

“This holiday seems to be off to a good start. Most retailers are reporting comp store increases year over year. We anticipate a positive holiday season. After the past few years of conservative introductions, we are finally seeing new innovation and exciting new product at the store level. This should translate into a reenergized consumer which will only result in positive sales growth.

“We are excited about our more fashion forward items for holiday. We think the consumer will expand their decorating style from just the traditional looks of the past few years and

“We’ve geared up our inventory to have a pretty decent fourth quarter, in particular November and December. We see increases for us could be anywhere between 3% and 5%.

The prognosticators, we are hearing, expect a 2% to 3% for the season – that is everything I am reading about for the holiday forecast.

“I happen to think it could be a little better than that, and the reason is that last year was so bad in the fourth quarter that this year we may be seeing a 3% to 5% increases, which won’t even come close to 2007 and 2008 levels.”

Lintex Linens/ Cobra-Espalma Kurt Hamburger, president and managing director

“I believe that those people looking optimistically to a big Christmas season may be disappointed. I think business is going to be flat. If you hold on to what you have or gained over last year or so, that would be a good thing as it is. I think if we achieve the same numbers we did last year, it would be the maximum that we could expect. I hope that that my negative philosophy is wrong, but I don’t think so.

“Look at the country’s unemployment situation. The government figures don’t tell us the whole story because they don’t take into account the part time workers or the guy who was mak-

ing $50,000 a year and is not making $7 an hour at McDonald’s.

“People will buy this holiday, but they’ll buy the minimum or they’ll buy even cheaper than in years gone by.

“For example, our business is ahead with Lintex Bedding, table linens and bath. We are doing OK and we are ahead of last year. I have no complaints about it. But our margins are suffering a little because we have to fight harder for every order we get.”

Maples Rugs Wade Maples, co-owner

“Last year was a rebound year from 2008 and we think this year will be better than last year.

We try and create a value presentation because the consumer is still looking for good value at the right price.”

Mohawk Home Jeffrey Seagle, dir. of marketing and product merchandising

“In comparison to years past, I am sure the vast majority of suppliers are somewhat cautious about the upcoming holiday season. Retailers remain very focused on inventory control and management. As a result, planning, procurement and manufacturing have had to exercise greater flexibility in all aspects of their daily operations. I am confident most suppliers have had to radically adjust to meet the changing needs of our retail partners and their customers.

“Obviously, sales of our products to our retail partners are based upon and reflect the widely changing shifts in consumer confidence. With continued high unemployment nationwide and the shifting political landscape, any outlook for a significant uptick in increased consumer confidence SEE OUTLOOK PAGE 23

Nourison

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PEOPLETodaY Company C Promotes Ferrer CONCORD, N.H. — Company C

has promoted Marybeth Ferrer to national sales manager from her former post as sales representative and key accounts leader.

Ferrer joined Company C in 2009. Prior to that, she spent more than 20 years leading sales, retail and customer service teams in companies such as Ann Taylor, Williams-Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, Domain Home and Country Curtains.

In her new capacity, she is charged with leading the independent sales force for Company C, which manufactures area and accent rugs as well as home textiles accessories.

She will work closely alongside the internal sales leader and customer service department as well as oversee communication and transactions with Company C’s 700-plus dealers and sales representatives across

the country.

She reports to Walter Chapin, president and ceo.

“Marybeth has built strong relationships with our valued representatives and retailers and truly understands the Company C brand and product,” said Kristine Scotto, coo. “Her passion for color and design led her to assume the responsibility of the role even over quantity in our wholesale channel.” HTT

Robert Allen Reworks Senior Sales Managers N EW YORK — Three executive

appointments have been made at the Robert Allen Group as part of a realignment of the company’s senior sales management.

Robert Duban, formerly vp, contract sales since 2008, has been promoted to svp, contract sales. He joined the company in 2003 as director- residential sales – west. He will provide guidance for all sales activities in the west and southwest.

David Lappert, general manager of American Century Home since 2005, is rejoining the company as vp-residential sales effective Nov. 1. He was operating vp-

sales for the Robert Allen Group from 2004 to 2005 and earlier was a Robert Allen sales representative for 11 years. He will assist in all sales activity in the eastern and southeastern regions.

Brian Richards, vp-Canada, will add to his responsibilities by assisting in the management of all sales activities in the north central and Pacific northwest US regions in addition to Canada.

He joined Robert Allen in 1999 as sales manager and was promoted to general manager and then vp-Canada.

The three report to Greg Tarver, president of the Rob-

ert Allen Group, who noted that the three “have extensive product and market experience…Our new sales model will inherently harmonize all Robert Allen business units.”

In a related appointment, Jenny Wilde, vp-product development, will assume responsibility for marketing in addition to her current duties. Wilde, who joined the company in 1995, has been involved with marketing. She reports to Jeff Cordover, chairman – Robert Allen Group.

Glenn Gold, evp-chief marketing officer, is no longer with the firm. HTT

Jackson Joins Perfect Fit CHARLOTTE , N.C. — Perfect Fit Industries has named David Jackson vp of corporate strategy, a new position for the company.

Jackson will be responsible for inventory analysis and action plans, reviewing product lines, systems and procedures and determining the profitability and feasibility of new lines of business. In addition, he will oversee the negotiation and implementation of all license agreements and contracts.

He reports directly to Dan

Hammer, the company’s recently appointed president and ceo.

Jackson has been consulting with PFI since June of this year. Prior to that, he ran his own consulting business with several textile clients since leaving JLA Home in October 2008, where he was vp-sales/merchandising for the Youth Bedding Division. He was with Dan River from 19982005, and The Bibb Company from 1982-1998. While at both Bibb and Dan River, worked with/for Hammer. HTT

Oakley to Head Operations at JS Fiber STATESVILLE , N.C. — JS Fiber has named Allen Oakley vp of operations.

With over 30 years of operational management experience, Oakley began his career at Fieldcrest Mills, Inc. in Eden, N.C., where he eventually attained the position of executive vp of manufacturing and operations for the Pillowtex Corporation, which had acquired Fieldcrest. In this position, he supervised over 12,000 employees and more than 20 manufacturing sites through-

out the United States.

Prior to joining JS Fiber, Oakley provided management consulting for clients in Asia, USA, and Mexico focusing on process improvement, inventory reduction, improving efficiency, and cost reduction.

“Allen has extensive experience in leading organizations through corporate change, restructuring, and growth. We are delighted to have someone with Allen’s expertise join the team at JS Fiber,” said Morris Long, ceo. HTT

Wulfing Celebrates 125 Years Borken, Germany – German textiles giant Wulfing Gmbh celebrated its 125th anniversary with a gala event involving dignitaries and local citizens as well as its workers here and from the Czech Republic.

Wilm Wulfing, owner and one of 43 Wulfings present, hosted the event and narrated a slide show tracing the company’s history. Johannes Dowe, co-managing director, welcomed the crowd, and Josef Kolker, co-director, concluded the event. HTT

From left: Josef Kolker and Johannes Dowe - co-managing directors, Wulfing; Ryan Jones, Josh Rosen and Alen Sands York - partners, Stellar Alliance.

htt101002_018.indd 18

Josh Rosen, Stellar Alliance; Doris Eck, Wulfing; Ryan Jones, Stellar Alliance and wife Laurel at the Wulfing 125th Anniversary celebration.

10/21/2010 3:45:00 PM

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8/13/2010 3:39:45 PM

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Home Textiles Today

> hometextilestoday.com

October 25, 2010

BUSINESS TodaY NRF: Shoppers Plan to Slightly up Holiday Spending WASHINGTON — In its first holi-

day survey this season, the National Retail Federation discovered that shoppers are planning on spending slightly more in this year’s fourth quarter – about $688.87 – than they did last year, when their average spend was $681.83.

“Though Americans are still operating with the recession in the back of their minds and many have fundamentally changed their shopping habits,” the NRF said, the findings from its 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by consumer research firm Bigresearch, “imply consumers won’t only be focusing on low prices and basic necessities this year.”

The survey polled 8,767 consumers and was conducted from Oct. 5 to 12.

As they did in past holiday selling seasons, most shoppers will concentrate the bulk of budget – $393.55 – on buying gifts for family members. They’ve allotted $71.45 for friends’ gifts, $18.26 for co-workers and $34.82 for others.

Décor and entertaining also fit into the budget: $41.51 on decorations, $26.10 on greeting cards and postage, $86.32

on candy and food, and $16.86 on flowers.

Total spending on gifts for this holiday comes to $518.08, and is expected to rise 2.1% from last year, which is in line with NRF’s 2010 holiday forecast.

“Consumers will still shop with the economy in the back of their minds, but we’re starting to see shoppers take baby steps toward a new normal,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and ceo.

NRF continues to expect holiday sales to rise 2.3 percent to $447.1 billion.

“As Americans open up their wallets for more discretionary gifts like jewelry or take advantage of sales to buy for themselves, retailers will begin to truly believe that the worst may be behind them,” Shay added.

The survey also found that 61.7% of shoppers said the economy will impact their spending, down from last year’s 65.3%.

Many shoppers said they will compensate by either spending less (81.5%), comparison shopping online (30.9%) or with newspapers and circulars (28.1%), shopping for sales (54.1%), or using more coupons (40.6%).

“Although the economy

continues to impact shoppers, a number of survey results indicate that shoppers may be ready to emerge from their shells this holiday season,” NRF said.

When asked which one factor will be most important when shopping this holiday season, the majority of shoppers said that sales or price discounts (41.8%) or everyday low prices (12.7%) were most important.

While those factors either declined or remained flat this year, two other categories rose in importance. The number of people who counted customer service as the most important factor rose from 4.4% last year to 5.3% this year, while shoppers who touted quality as the overriding factor rose from 11.8% to 12.7%.

“Price is paramount during any recession, but when the economy begins to recover other factors take on greater importance,” said Phil Rist, evp, strategic initiatives, Bigresearch.

“When shoppers consider other factors like customer service and quality in buying decisions, retailers have the ability to highlight a variety of other features to help their company stand out from the competition.”

While many traditional categories like clothing (48.2%) and

Same-store sales

Comp Pace Picks Up NEW YORK — Columbus Day sales and cooler

Halloween falling on a Sunday this year will weather in many parts of the country helped spur more people to celebrate, she added.

“Meanwhile, big retailers such as Wal-Mart lift comps 2.7% during the second week of Ocand Target already have jump-started price-cuts tober, according to the Johnson Redbook.

Same-store sales rose 1.9% at department on toys ahead of the holiday season,” said Lestores and 3.1% at discounters for the week vis. HTT ended Oct. 16.

“Sales of costumes, canJohnson Redbook Index dy, decorations and cards are Second week of October, year-over-year % change starting to build and the genWEEK ENDED 10/9 10/16 10/23 10/30 MONTH TARGET eral strength in Halloween reDepartment stores* 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 lated merchandise sales is imDiscounters 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.2 proving as we move closer to Redbook Index 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 the end of the month,” said *Including chain stores and traditional department stores Catlin Levis, Redbook analyst.

Source: Johnson Redbook Index Retailers are hoping that

htt101002_020_021 20

books (47.3%) will appear on a majority of shopping lists this year, jewelry will appear more often than a year ago, the survey found. “As a potential sign that discretionary gifts may become more popular,” 23.0% of people will ask for jewelry this year, a significant 10% jump from last year’s 20.8%. Gift cards will remain the most requested holiday gift this year, with 57.0% of people asking for plastic.

As another sign that shoppers feel a bit of breathing room in their budget: the number of people who said they will make a holiday purchase from a discounter dropped to 65.1% from 70.1% last year. Popular holiday shopping destinations will include department stores (54.5%), grocery stores (46.7%), the Internet (43.9%) and clothing stores (33.6%).

“Americans aren’t only shifting where they’re shopping – how they’re shopping is changing, too,” NRF added. “Mobile devices like iPhones and Androids are becoming more popular among consumers, and many shoppers plan to use these devices this holiday season to look for gift ideas, compare prices and find items in nearby stores.”

More than one-fourth of sur-

veyed American adults with a smartphone (26.8%) will use the devices to research or make holiday purchases, and that number jumps to 45.0% among young adults ages 18 to 24.

“Retailers are expected to take advantage of this trend by offering more robust mobile apps and websites, along with enhanced features like mobile reviews, to cater to Americans looking to shop from their phones,” NRF continued.

Another sign of better times for this holiday is the number of people who plan to take advantage of holiday sales to make non-gift purchases for themselves, which is expected to rise 8.0% this year, with the average holiday shopper spending $107.50 on himself or herself compared to $101.37 last year.

Although the holiday season won’t kick off for many retailers until at least Nov. 1, a sizeable number of shoppers are already planning ahead. According to the survey, 37.2% of shoppers will begin holiday shopping

by Halloween. Women are the most likely to begin shopping by the end of October (42.1%) while young adults ages 18 to 24 are among the least likely (27.7%). HTT

Bigresearch: Consumers Focused on Needs, not Wants this Holiday C OLUMBUS , O HIO — This holiday, consumers will be shopping for more needs than wants, as less than a third feel very confident about the chances for a strong economy, according to consumer research firm Bigresearch’s October Consumer Intentions & Actions (CIA) survey.

Bigresearch monitors more than 8,000 consumers each month for its CIA report. This month, the survey was conducted from Oct. 5 to 12.

“It appears that consumers are feeling more realistic and less op-

timistic about the current state of the union,” the firm noted, based on 28.5% of respondents who said they are very confident or confident in chances for a strong economy. That figure was up one point from last month’s 27.4% rating, but it is two points below a year ago when it was 30.4%. Still, it is almost 10 points ahead of Oct. 2008’s 19.0%, but remains well below Oct. 2007’s 44.8%.

Practicality is increasing among consumers, Bigresearch also found, as nearly half of the reSEE HOLIDAY PAGE 21

10/20/2010 5:16:27 PM

Business

> hometextilestoday.com

Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

21

Pace of M-commerce WSL: Social Networking Impacts Shopping Marches Ahead NEW YORK — WSL Strategic Re-

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — Nearly

half of U.S. consumers are using their smartphones for shopping – even though what they’re mostly buying are phone games and apps.

However, a recent survey

by Lightspeed Research found mobile phones impact shopping behavior in ways beyond buying. Some 80% of survey respondents have used their phone to locate their closest store, 70% have compared prices using their phone, and 65% have read product reviews on their mobile device.

They survey — conducted Aug. 26-30 2010 and based on 3,905 respondents — found that while mobile shopping was most popular with 18-34 year olds, more than one third of those aged 55+ have also made a purchase via mobile.

The reason most given for not

making more product purchases by phone: consumers in every age group said they prefer to shop on a traditional PC. But when they do engage in m-commerce, 54% said they like to shop at a company’s website through mobile Internet and 41% said they would rather shop through an app. Five percent just want to shop through SMS or texting a code.

Just over one third do their mobile shopping via iPhone, 25% use an Android-based phone, and 19% use a Blackberry.

“With the advent of location-based services and coupon apps such as Groupon, Yowza and Coupon Sherpa, retailers could truly be attracting shoppers ‘off the streets’ with enticing and relevant offers served inthe-moment,” said Chris Urinyi, Lightspeed Research ceo, The Americas. HTT

tail is out with a new study that finds 75% of shoppers participated in social networking in the past month – and 45% used their social networking site for shopping activity.

“Social media influences buying. It is broader than kids talking to each other on Facebook or following a Tweet. It is about moms,

Intentions HOLIDAY FROM PAGE 20

spondents – 48.6% – said they’ve become more practical in their purchasing, representing a onepoint increase from September’s 47.6%. Practicality remains on par with Oct. 2009’s 48.8%.

In addition, more than half — 56.7% — said they are focused on needs over wants when spending, increasing three points from September’s 53.8% reading and nearly a point from Oct. 2009’s 56.0%.

Once they hit the stores, full-price

men and Boomers tapping and clicking onto sites that tell them what to buy and where,” said Wendy Liebmann, ceo of WSL Strategic Retail.

The survey, How America Shops From Buzz to Buy, found that while 47% of consumers overall use their social network to engage in shopping activities, that goes up to 57% among GenXers

and to 52% among the affluent.

Millennials – aged 15-32 – spend the most hours on social networking sites, about seven per week, but they don’t do the most shopping. That honor goes to GenXers – aged 33-44 – who spend 5.5 hours per week with shopping-related social media, nearly an hour more per week than other generations. HTT

items will not be on the radar.

Rather, consumers will be strictly shopping “sale” goods, the survey found. One-quarter (24.4%) of shoppers contended they “only” buy clothing on sale, while an additional 62.6% “usually” shop the sales – both of these figures declining slightly from Oct. 2009.

Only 13.0% said sales aren’t important, representing a twopoint rise from a year ago.

“It appears that consumers have a trick and a treat in store for retailers in October,” said Bigresearch, based on its Diffusion

Index, which tracks respondents who say they’ll spend less and subtracts them from those who will spend more.

“While most categories are up from September, October 2009 and October 2008, all categories remain down compared to pre-recession October 2007,” the firm added.

Home décor and furniture are up for the September 2010 and October 2009 and 2008 periods.

However, home improvement was flat and lawn & garden was down, both in September. HTT

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Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

OPINIONTodaY Out-of-this-World Aspirations “You can’t listen to the complex and interlocking initiatives taking being pursued on several levels without being knocked out by the scope and ambition of Wal-Mart’s plans.”

I

T ’S GOI NG A F T ER FA SHION. No, wait — too office; • Get more shopping out of consumers in Wal-Mart much fashion. It’s back to basics. It’s going after the better customer. No, now it’s going to focus on the neighborhoods by letting them order online and pick up core customer. It’s going to cut skus. Too much cut- at their local store later in the day; • Expand into smaller markets with a small-footprint ting — it’s going to expand assortments.

That would sum up the news coming out of Wal-Mart format. (You should be visualizing something to rival the Stores Inc.’s past several annual analyst meetings. One little Family Dollar across the street from the lone gas station in a small Midwestern town); could be forgiven a sense of whiplash, but there • Attract business in countries where Walis a consistent message Wal-Mart delivers to Mart doesn’t operate stores by building a Web Wall Street and has been from time immemoplatform and distribution network that can sell rial: We’ve got plenty of room for growth.

As the $405 billion retailer recently outlined EDITOR-IN-CHIEF to consumers there.

For the record, I left out a whole bunch of its plans for the United States and the world earother stuff. lier this month, I couldn’t help recalling a conWhatever you think about the company, you versation many years ago with then-cfo John can’t listen to the complex and interlocking iniMenzer, who described how Wal-Mart adopttiatives taking being pursued on several levels ed Coca-Cola’s way of looking at the marketwithout being knocked out by the scope and amplace. bition of Wal-Mart’s plans. And as behemoths go, Coke, he said, doesn’t ask itself how much it’s a relatively fast-moving one when it comes to share of the soft drink market it owns. It looks at all the beverages consumed by all the people in the world strategic shifts.

Sure, some strategies fail — hypermarts, Bud’s and Gerand asks itself what percentage of that it owns.

Clearly, such thinking remains the order of the day. At many come readily to mind. But Wal-Mart learns the lessons to be had, then moves on. its latest meeting, Wal-Mart announced plans to: Head’s up, Planet Mars. If you ever get peopled, Wal• Reach urban dwellers by allowing them to order from walmart.com and pick up their purchase at a local FedEx Mart will come up with a way to sell to you. HTT

Jennifer Marks

> hometextilestoday.com

360 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010 Tel: (646) 805-0227; Fax: (646) 365-2307 www.hometextilestoday.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Marks 375 South End Avenue #32U New York, N.Y. 10280 (212) 945-9151 | jnegley@hometextilestoday.com FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carole Sloan 16 E. 96th St., New York, NY 10128 Tel: (212) 831-8266 | Fax: (212) 831-0814 PRODUCT EDITOR Cecile B. Corral 428 Bianca Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33146 (305) 661-7493 | cbcorral@aol.com COPY EDITOR Julie Murphy (646) 805-0224 | jmurphy@hometextilestoday.com DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH Dana French (336) 605-1091 | dfrench@sandowmedia.com PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Warren Shoulberg (646) 805-0226 | wshoulberg@hometextilestoday.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jeff Reeves (336) 605-1009 | jreeves@hometextilestoday.com ACCOUNT MANAGER NORTHEAST/MIDWEST/CANADA Mary McLoughlin (646) 805-0227 | mmcloughlin@hometextilestoday.com CLASSIFIED AD SALES Spencer Whittle (336) 605-1027 swhittle@sandowmedia.com Karen Hancock (336) 605-1047 khancock@sandowmedia.com MANAGER, CHINA Nancy Yu Tel: 86 (0) 21 5126 0111; Fax: 86 (0) 21 6539 0321 nancy@oceaniamedia.net MANAGER, EUROPE Mirek Kraczkowski Tel: 48 22 401 70 01; Fax: 48 22 401 70 16 | kraczko@aol.com MANAGER, INDIA Kaushal Shah Cell: 91-9821715431; Tel: 91-22-6663 4597 / 24988658 Fax: 91-22-66634596 | kj_reeds@yahoo.co.in ONLINE SALES MANAGER Penny Schneck (336) 605-1084 | pschneck@sandowmedia.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Rich Lamb Tel: (336) 605-1074; Fax: (336) 605-1143 | rlamb@ sandowmedia.com MANAGER, CLIENT SERVICES, WEB ADVERTISING Dan Sage | (336) 605-1080 | dsage@sandowmedia.com E-MEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Missy Axe | (336) 605-1005 | maxe@sandowmedia.com DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE MARKETING Allison Ternes (704) 573-9007 | aternes@sandowmedia.com VP, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Kevin Castellani (336) 605-1034 | kcastellani@sandowmedia.com

One Size Doesn’t Fit All “There is instance after instance of major success of a license in one product and major disappointment of the same license in a closely related soft home segment.”

SANDOW MEDIA PRESIDENT AND CEO Adam I. Sandow

A

MONG T H E E A R LY vibes coming out of last Beyond or Kohl’s distribution of bed and bath with a “name” week’s High Point (N.C.) Market was that the folks and a Mom ‘n’ Pop furniture store in Peoria with the same in furnitureland were being inundated once again “name” for the furniture segment.

For some licensors, tackling each segment separately could by a new crop of licensors for their products. well be part of the answer. A case in point — a feature last Some are familiar names and products — yes, in some inweek with Donald Trump in The New York Times highlightstances too familiar. Others evoke a who? what? reaction from ing his new “crystal” (not “glassware”) program. Nowhere did bystanders — many of whom have decades long experience it discuss the furniture, lighting or brand new decin the wonderous world of licensing. orative and basic bedding programs. It certainly One of the interesting aspects of licensing for has to stimulate consumer interest with “The Donthe home arena is that the licensors still have not ald” being interviewed. And it probably will stimubeen able figure out that a license in furniture may FOUNDING late interest for the other products if consumers renot be logically transferrable to other home arenas EDITOR-IN-CHIEF search the website.

— or vice versa.

The Cindy Crawford program of home furnishEven on the soft side of home furnishings, there ings at JCPenney that now has morphed into non-home areas is instance after instance of major success of a license in one like jewelry, is another example of how different segments of product and major disappointment of the same license in a a “name” can be marketed separately. While a few JCPenney closely related soft home segment. stores with the licensor’s furniture, Cindy Crawford has been And, of course, a number of the licensors already estaba fairly long-term program at furniture retail giant Rooms to lished on the soft side were walking the halls of High Point Go and some of its regional retail furniture partners such as seeking out new opportunities not just in furniture but gifts Raymour & Flanigan and Art Van. and lighting.

Hopefully there will be a growing understanding on the For many on either side of the equation, this is an exercise part of licensors about the differences between the distributhat won’t pay out.

The main reason is the vast difference in distribution for tion of merchandise — albeit generically home furnishings. each segment of the business. It’s hard to equate a Bed Bath & It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all business. HTT

Carole Sloan

htt101002_022_023.indd 22

COO AND CFO Scott R. Yablon VP CREATIVE AND EDITORIAL Yolanda E. Yoh EVP, GROUP PUBLISHER James N. Dimonekas

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10/21/2010 4:36:02 PM

TJXcellent “A lot of suppliers and consumers alike wish there were more TJXs and less of some other stores out there. “

W

ho’s the best retailer of home textiles in the business today?

I say you can make a PUBLISHER/ pretty persuasive argument that it’s TJX. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR By all sorts of criteria — buying, product selection, advertising and marketing, vendor relations — the TJX group of stores does an excellent job in the business of selling home textiles products.

Whether it’s T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods or AJWright, these guys know what they are doing.

Let’s look at the specifics: Buying: TJX buyers actually go to trade shows and buy. I know it’s an antiquated concept, but when their buyers go to market — and they go to lots and lots of shows, more than just about any other retailer I know of — they are there to buy, not to sample, arrange for styleouts or work the shrimp-and-chardonnay circuit.

Product selection: Forget about that image of broken lots and assorted odds and ends as being the merchandising front of a typical TJX store. Sure, they have that — and at this point it’s more for image than anything else — but the heart and soul of these stores are core programs representing a broad cross section of products, price points and brands. The programs may change, rotating in and out as things go, but the assortments are as well balanced as anybody’s in the marketplace.

Advertising and marketing: When you see a TV commercial of happy shoppers in love with their latest sheet or towel purchase, there’s a good chance it’s a spot for a TJX unit. No other retailer out there does as good a job promoting the entire category as they do, and there’s got to be some great irony in the fact that while Macy’s and Kohl’s are doing price-oriented item ads, TJX stores are taking the institutional route promoting the category in general.

Of course, you have to get a kick out of those recent spots that try to offer up a plausible scenario for the store’s buying acumen by showing other retailers over-ordering or misordering and TJX coming in and picking up the pieces. The fact of the matter is that most of TJX’s purchases these days are ordered straight from the supplier. Somehow the idea that 300 extra boots are going to supply 1,000 stores doesn’t quite fly anymore.

It’s like when they used to run IR sales on Royal Velvet. There appeared to be a seemingly unlimited supply of irregular product, enough to run these sales several times a year, suggesting that Fieldcrest’s Fieldale plant was the most incompetent manufacturing facility on the face of the towel planet. But that was their story and they stuck with it.

Vendor relations: Ask any supplier which retailer they would most want to do business with and more often than not it’s TJX — and some of its off-price brethren. It’s not because these stores are soft touches or rubes who don’t know percale from prosciutto.

Suppliers will tell you that TJX is a tough negotiator, but a fair one, and the price you settle on is the price that’s paid. And that payout comes sooner rather than later, helping the cash flow of many a strapped manufacturer.

Put it all together and it’s a multi-level story that makes a strong case for TJX. Yes, sometimes their stores look pretty crummy. And yes, sometimes they take advantage of both the supplier and the consumer when each is at their most vulnerable.

But a lot of suppliers and consumers alike wish there were more TJXs and less of some other stores out there.

In so many ways, X very much marks the spot. HTT

htt101002_022_023 23

Warren Shoulberg

23

Home Textiles Today

October 25, 2010

> hometextilestoday.com

Holiday Forecast OUTLOOK FROM PAGE 16

will mostly likely occur after the first of the year. Until the consumer feels better about their financial health and there are more favorable labor market conditions across the board, we do not see any substantial rise in sales this holiday season. A significant uptick in consumer confidence within the next few months would certainly be cause for celebration.”

Nourison Paula Paquette, vp, soft home

“The holiday outlook for our holiday motifs as well as our every day product looks to be strong. Early retailer sales on our seasonal products are showing high positive comps over last year’s performance. “ R e t a i l e r s ’ p r o d u c t d e ci sions made from market during the first quarter have been delivered and are showing great early high sell-throughs.

“This has also made the response to our September market very successful. Retailers made their buying and assortment decisions quickly and responded to trends so the product can be delivered during late fourth quarter and to drive early first quarter sales.”

Revere Mills International Group John Vanden Berge, ceo

“My expectation is a minor increase to flat for the holiday season. The bigger issue will be after the holidays – with depleted inventories, replenishment at retail will be at a much higher cost of goods due to the extreme increase of cotton prices. When and if that happens, how will it affect price points and values in the market place?”

RR Design Concepts (formerly Décor by Beader’s Touch) Rekha Gadhvi, co-owner

“Today, consumers are smart and aware of their options w h e n t h e y s h o p f o r t h ei r homes. They are always looking for newness, but the price has to be right. That is where we play our role – by giving new designs/fabrics/ embroidery which can be ret ailed from $16.99 to $19.99 and

R.R Design Concepts

some higher-end product from $29.99 to 49.99.

“I used to think a lot about being on trend in the beginning.

But over the years, trends started becoming obsolete before they even hit the stores.”

provement over the first half of 2009. We expect that this trend will continue into the second half of 2010.”

Town and Country Living David Beyda, chairman

The John Ritzenthaler Co. Elissa Vogt, vp of marketing

“We have found the first half of 2010 to have had a modest im-

“I believe that seasonal purchases will come late and closer to the actual holiday as the ultimate customer is playing it closer to the vest.” HTT

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Publication title: Home Textiles Today Publication number: 497-490 Filing date: 10/1/2010 Issue Frequency: 30 times a year except for 1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/15, 3/29, 4/5, 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, 6/14, 6/28, 7/5, 8/2, 8/23, 8/30, 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, 11/1, 11/15, 11/29, 12/13, 12/27 plus an extra issue 1/26 and 11/22 No. of issues printed annually: 30 Annual subscription price: US & Canada: $169.97, Other countries: $325.99 for surface, $525.00 for airmail Complete mailing address of known office of publication: Home Textiles Today, 360 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10010 Complete mailing address of headquarters of publisher: Sandow Media, 7025 Albert Pick Road, 2nd Floor, Greensboro, NC 27409 Publisher: Joe Carena, Sandow Media, Furniture Today Media Group, 360 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10010; Editor: Jennifer Marks, Sandow Media, 375 South End Avenue #32U, New York, NY 10280 ; Product Editor: Cecile B. Corral, Sandow Media, 428 Bianca Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33146 Owner: Sandow Media, 7025 Albert Pick Road, 2nd Floor, Greensboro, NC 27409 Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None Not applicable Publication name: Home Textiles Today Issue date for circulation data below: September 6, 2010 Extent and nature of circulation Avg. no copies No. copies preceding nearest to 12 months filing date Total number of copies 7,776 6,785 1. Mail subscriptions, outside-county 5,244 5,611 2. Mail subscriptions, inside-county 0 0 3. Paid or requested outside the USPS 207 187 4. Other classes through USPS 0 0 Total paid and/or requested circulation 5,451 5,798 Nonrequested distribution: 1. Outside-county 894 425 2. In-county 0 0 3. Other classes through USPS 0 0 4. Nonrequested outside the mail 975 40 Total nonrequested distribution 1,869 465 Total distribution 7,320 6,263 Copies not distributed 456 522 Total 7,776 6,785 Percent Paid and/or requested circulation 74.47% 92.58%

This statement of ownership will be printed in the October 25, 2010 issue of this publication.

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10/20/2010 12:32:31 PM

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